In 2021, California committed to providing universal prekindergarten (UPK) for all 4-year-olds and income-eligible 3-year-olds by 2025-26. UPK includes several early learning programs, including transitional kindergarten (TK), the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), Head Start, and expanded learning opportunities to provide full-day early…

Between 2014 and 2016, California policymakers invested a half-billion dollars in the California Career Pathways Trust (CCPT). The initiative funded regional and local partnerships to establish career pathways designed to lead secondary school students to postsecondary degrees or certifications aligned with regional workforce needs. This brief…

The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated with vivid clarity how important it is for people to have digital literacy skills. From the workplace to the classroom and beyond, being able to use digital tools effectively is fundamental to success. To succeed in this rapidly changing environment, workers need broad-based digital problem-solving skills that…

This is a congressional hearing on how vocational and technical education and job training work together to better prepare workers for the 21st century workforce and on successful educational and job training activities and initiatives in Indiana (IN). Testimony includes statements from United States representatives (Howard P. "Buck"…

The relationship between higher education and economic development is discussed to help Pennsylvania state officials in policy development. In addition to listing labor force development efforts of Carnegie Mellon University, Community College of Allegheny County, and University of Pittsburgh, Massachusetts' economic strategies are summarized. Six…

Commissioned by the governor of Minnesota, a study was done of the state's current resources, and future needs with a view to planning an integrated, efficient and effective system of post-secondary education. Through a series of eight meetings and visits to over 70 campuses where commissioners talked to students, educators, policy makers and…

This position paper of the United Faculty of Florida argues that the state of Florida must become more active in the informational economy of the nation and the world or become a low-wage, semi-colonial area in servitude to centers of "informationalism." The paper begins by examining the economies of America and Florida. Next, the paper…

Each year, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges (CCC) develops and adopts a Basic Agenda that sets forth current priorities for the 107-college system. Guided by emerging trends and issues, the 1991-92 Basic Agenda constitutes the Board of Governor's long-range planning document for the 1990's. The report's introduction…

In the spring of 1985 a task force comprising private sector representatives was convened to formulate recommendations regarding the development of an overall policy framework for employment and training and related systems in Virginia. The task force was asked to focus their efforts on the following policy areas: training and retraining the adult…

In the face of the emergence of a global, technology-driven, skills-based economy and a continuing shortage of skilled labor in Minnesota, a study examined the development of a world-class training system for the state's workers and businesses. The study found the following: (1) there is an urgent need to address the high-skill needs of both…

This paper, one of a series from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's project "Higher Education and the Economy of the West," summarizes and analyzes economic development and higher education master plans in 16 western states, looking particularly at how planning for economic development and higher education…

Florida's Workforce Development Education (WDE) Program was subjected to an evaluation and justification review to determine its benefit to the state and evaluate its systemwide performance. The following components of Florida's WDE program were evaluated: career and technical education (CTE); adult education programs; and continuing education…

This paper presents specific steps elected officials, program managers, and other policymakers can take to craft a more effective workforce development system intended to give workers the tools they need to succeed in the new economy. First, the new labor market and work systems are discussed. The paper then lays out eight principles for all…

This report is intended to provide a framework for state-level policy and planning in relationship to postsecondary education's role in workforce development. Underlying the report is a set of principles and priorities designed to reflect and shape current policy agendas, and which will address the needs of college-bound high school graduates,…

In order to respond effectively to the profound impact that high technology has had on the labor market in Wisconsin, members of the Wisconsin Board of Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education (VTAE) must address a number of key human, curriculum, policy, and technological concerns. State VTAE agencies must close ranks, maintain close…